Recent advances in the synthesis of benzo[b]thiophene fused polycyclic derivatives: Strategies and reactions

Benzo[b]thiophene fused compounds with a unique active heterocyclic skeleton have wide applications in the fields of medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, and organic functional materials, which resulted in rapid development of many efficient methods for the construction of benzo[b]thiophene-fused heterocycles in recent years. Among these methods, the domino reaction of benzo[b]thiophene derivatives is a practical and powerful synthetic route to access benzo[b]thiophene-fused heterocycles by virtue of the particularity of sulfur atom. This review summarizes the latest developments in the construction of benzo[b]thiophene-fused heterocycles by ring formation at the C2-C3-position of benzo[b]thiophene derivatives in the past decade. Additionally, this review is divided into four parts according to the four kinds of benzo[b]thiophene derivatives used, including thioaurone, thioisatin, substituted benzo[b]thiophene, and azadiene.